Tall Organisational Structures

• Business Management Articles
• Organisational Structures Overview
• Tall Structures

Introduction

In its simplest form a tall organisation has many levels of management and supervision. There is a long chain of command running from the top of the organisation e.g. Chief Executive down to the bottom of the organisation e.g. shop floor worker. The diagram below neatly captures the concept of a tall structure.

How Many Levels Do Tall Structure Organisations Have

Tall structures rarely exceed 8 levels of management. This is firstly because the number of layers (i.e. management levels) decreases the span of control. Secondly the disadvantages of the tall structure begin to outweigh the advantages of a tall structure.

Advantages Of A Tall Organisations

• There is a narrow span of control i.e. each manager has a small number of employees under their control. This means that employees can be closely supervised
• There is a clear management structure.
• The function of each layer will be clear and distinct. There will be clear lines of responsibility and control
• Clear progression and promotion ladder

Disadvantages Of A Tall Organisation

• The freedom and responsibility of employees (subordinates) is restricted.
• Decision making could be slowed down as approval may be needed by each of the layers of authority
• Communication has to take place through many layers of management
• High management costs because managers are generally paid more than subordinate; A management layer will tend to get more pay than managers/employees in the layer below them

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this quick overview about tall structures. Click the links below to learn more about the different types of organisational structures.

1. Organisational Structures
2. Flat Structures
3. Matrix Structure
4. Hierarchical Structures
5. Centralised Structures and decentralised Structures